Escapists
by The Neliel Tu
Summary: AU. Neliel and Grimmjow. Escaping from a fate equal to or worse than death.  But things aren't always as they seem, and sometimes the people closest to you are the ones you must worry about the most. a hint of HaliNnoi, but just a hint. M just in case.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is pretty much AU. Oooh, I don't have much to say. Except that this was spawned from a dream I had in which I was Neliel. The three others, Halibel, Grimm and Nnoitra were all involved as well. As for any others, don't worry, I'll find a way to explain. Anyway, enjoy it. _

A scream pierced the air half past midnight. Neliel spun around to stare Grimmjow in the eye. She mouthed "Let's go." They turned and ran. The grass rustled softly beneath their feet, and they heard no other footsteps but their own.

Neliel led the way, Grimmjow at her heels. He trusted her, for whatever reason. Perhaps it was because she was strong. He didn't care. He just didn't want to die. As much as he loved the thrill of battle, he knew this was one he could never enjoy. This was not a battle of pride but one that was a matter of life or death. It wasn't just his life on the line this time.

Neliel turned down a dead end street, much to Grimmjow's sudden terror. A dead end street seemed to be the worst place to be! Where had her unflawed logic suddenly disappeared to? She was still running, her feet moving faster and faster. She stopped at a nondescript yellow house. Carefully, she edged around the back, hopping over a chain link fence with relative ease.

Grimmjow followed suit, knowing there was no other choice. Neliel lifted a mat on the back stoop and fumbled for a moment. She produced a key, and with it unlocked the back door. Grimmjow locked the door behind them, bolting and chaining it. Neliel raised her hand to her chest, obviously winded from the assault of running and fearing for her life.

She raised her finger to her lips, warning him not to speak. She slipped her feet out of her shoes and crept through the eat-in kitchen. Grimmjow stayed put, knowing he was in a good spot where he was. He heard a faint whispering sound, and then saw Neliel beckoning him toward the backrooms.

He ducked beneath the windows so he wouldn't be seen as he crept through the house. The windows had curtains, but they were thin and shadows could be detected from outside. He met up with Neliel in the bedroom, where he found two others.

Halibel and Nnoitra sat on the floor, underneath the high placed privacy windows. He praised some unknown deity for Neliel's ability to find such a place. Grimmjow opened his mouth to whisper, but Halibel pressed a pad of paper into his hand. He and Neliel sat on the floor across from them. He wrote "What are you doing here?"

"The same thing you are." Halibel wrote back. "We won't be staying much longer. They're moving in closer, and you shouldn't stay much longer either."

"How close are they?" Neliel wrote.

"Too close."

Neliel leaned back on her hands, surrendering the pen and paper to Halibel. It was then that Grimmjow saw the dark circles under Neliel's eyes. He saw tremors coursing through her body. She shut her eyes, and for a short moment, she looked peaceful.

"There are three other rooms if you'd like some privacy. I'd recommend the one next door to this." Halibel wrote. Neliel nodded, picked up her knapsack and led Grimmjow to the next room. She opened it and pulled out two tightly rolled mats. Then she pulled out a tightly rolled blanket.

Two small pillows were quick to follow, and then Neliel was unrolling two mats. Grimmjow sat on one, finding it to be surprisingly comfortable. Neliel blinked, yawned silently, and reached into the bag one last time. When her hand came out, it held a small, opaque bag. Delicate fingers plucked a strand of meat from within. She handed it to Grimmjow before serving herself.

Though the meat was small, it filled their bellies enough so that maybe they could sleep. Neliel lay down on her light green mat. Grimmjow took her cue, rolling on his side to face her. It was only in her eyes that he could see the fear. There wasn't much, but he knew it was there. He reached up and smoothed his thumb across her pink birthmark.

"These imperfections mark us as criminals." Neliel whispered hoarsely. She curled up in a ball, her hands up to her mouth. Grimmjow pulled her into his arms then, a promise to protect her. She sniffled once and then was silent. She acted as though she were asleep, but Grimmjow knew her face was tilted upward, her eyes upon him. He sighed irritably and kissed her forehead.

Then she slept. Her breathing grew regular and she relaxed completely. He wanted to sleep, but it was hard to come by when he feared for his life and Neliel's.

_The gauzy curtains ruffled in a gentle breeze. Neliel dozed lightly on her large bed, comfortable in the lazy summer afternoon. Everything was right in her world. She awoke hours later to a pounding on some door far away. _

_ "Miss Neliel, you must go." A young girl, flawless, was telling her. Neliel blinked, shut her eyes and shook her head. "I mean it. They'll kill you. I don't want you to—" Suddenly, another girl burst into the room, sobbing and shaking. She was soaked in blood. _

_ "Leave! They'll kill you!" This sobered Neliel. She sat up, and jumped out of the bed. Quickly she shed her luxurious nightgown, opting instead for nearly skin tight, black clothes. "Why are they doing this?" The blood soaked girl cried, falling to her knees. Neliel silenced her with a glare. _

_ "Will you die like a coward?" Neliel demanded. The girl hiccupped and dried her tears hastily. Neliel stood before the vanity mirror one last time, pulling her long hair back into a bun. Neliel's flawless girl stood before her, holding up a knapsack. _

_ "I hope this has everything that you need." She whispered, a tear shining in the corner of her eye. Neliel drew the girl into her arms, inhaling the sweet scent. _

_ "Stay alive. I'll find you when times are safer." _

_ "I'm 'perfect'. They wouldn't dream of killing me." Their heads turned as someone pounded on the door. Neliel slipped her feet into a pair of shoes. The two nodded at each other, and Neliel disappeared into the evening. _

_ Behind her she heard collective screams, and she felt a pair of eyes watching her disappear. She shut her eyes, but the visions of blood everywhere still permeated her vision. She ran faster, until she ran into something firm yet yielding. _

_ "Watch it." He growled. Neliel backed up a step, holding a scream back. _

_ "Oh. It's you." She whispered. Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez. He lived nearby, and yet he seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere. "Where are you going?" She asked nervously. _

_ "Away." He lifted his shirt slightly to reveal a large scar on his stomach. "They'll kill me." _

_ Neliel turned from him, hoisting the knapsack higher. "I need to keep moving." She told him. _

_ "So do I. So why don't we move together?" He asked. Neliel slapped him. _

_ "I don't need your help." She hissed. _

_ "You don't fucking wanna be alone, do ya?" He demanded, stung by her slap. "I don't need anyone—but a little help isn't a bad thing, dumbass." _

_ A sudden rustling, not too far off, caught their attention. "Now come on!" He demanded, grabbing her arm and tearing off. _

_ "You don't know where to go." Neliel told him after hours of running. _

_ "And you do?" He shot back. She nodded. _

_ "It's getting light. We need a place to stop and get some sleep." She sighed. "Or, at least, hide until the sun sets." _

_ Suddenly, she was waking to the scent of blood. Grimmjow was shouting obscenities and fists were being thrown. Her face and body were covered in warm and cold liquid. It was blood. She sat up and edged backwards, her eyes wide. She was packing her things in a hurry, and Grimmjow's too. They didn't notice, and she prayed furiously that they wouldn't. _

_ Luck was on her side this one time, and she stood to tear Grimmjow away. He looked positively frightened, no longer cocky and bold. A fist connected with her face and sent her spinning. She reeled, colors blinding her. _

_ "Grimm—_

_ He was being killed by six men, all in masks. He wasn't giving in, however, and it pained Neliel to see him struggle. Another fist connected with her face, and then she heard a rip. It wasn't her clothing, but something worse. _

_ "Grimmjow!" She screamed, tears mingling with her agonized shrieks of terror. _


	2. Chapter 2

Neliel sat up, panting heavily. Sweat dripped from her face. Grimmjow stirred, opened his eyes and looked up at her groggily.

"What is it?" He whispered.

"Bad dream." She mumbled, hugging her knees to her chest. Grimmjow sat up, understanding too well the effect of a bad dream. He wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders, lifting her chin with his thumb.

"We'll be okay." He promised. She nodded, flashing dull brown eyes at him. He fought the urge to pull her against him and lost, knowing that his tough guy front mattered not when it came to Neliel. She needed someone who cared right now, and try as he might to disguise it, he cared.

"I…" She stopped. She listened. Grimmjow watched her intently. Her senses were all so much keener than his.

"Did you…"

"It was nothing." She mouthed, remaining silent anyway. She only slept for another hour that night. She couldn't tell if Grimmjow were asleep beside her, but she didn't dare move to look. She remained curled in a ball the entire night, too afraid to move.

She awoke some time later to pounding on the door. She sat up quickly, eyes bulging in her head. Grimmjow stirred beside her, opening groggy eyes and trying to focus.

"Pack." She mouthed urgently, waving her hands. She rolled her mat with speed and efficiency that could only come from practice and a desperate situation. She tied it up, and threw things into her bag quickly. Grimmjow rolled his own mat, and let it join hers in the bag.

Then, she threw it on her back. Grimmjow followed her through the home, and they made their exit through the back door, just the way they came. Neliel slipped the key under the mat and ran through the back yard. Grimmjow followed, and they jumped over a short fence into an alley masked by overgrown trees and shrubs.

She took a left and kept on running. They crossed a raised train track and waited on the other side, hidden in the shade of a large tree. Neliel caught her breath and looked back toward the house they had previously occupied. Two large men, dressed in black, stood at the front door, feet tapping impatiently.

Guns rested in holsters on their shoulders and hips. Neliel shuddered, knowing what their fate could have been. She looked down the tracks, her head tilted toward the east. Soon enough, a train whistled, and they heard the rumbling on the tracks.

"Get ready." Neliel breathed, and Grimmjow nearly smiled. As soon as the train was in sight, they took off. Luckily, a box car appeared toward the end, a door slightly ajar. Neliel jumped onto it, holding on tightly as she wrenched it open further. Grimmjow jumped in after her, and she shut the door after them. She left it ajar, as it had been, for she felt it would look suspicious otherwise.

It was then she realized they weren't alone. Halibel and Nnoitra sat across from them, backs against a wall. Neliel's surprise was clear on her face, and Halibel blinked, clearly surprised as well.

She slid to the floor of the car, leaning against the wall. "It's a long journey to redemption." She whispered wearily. Grimmjow leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. Halibel and Nnoitra only sighed lightly. It seemed as though in relief.

"It will be three days before this train is inspected again." Halibel mentioned. "We plan to board another one toward the coast." She whispered, eyes darting about the car suspiciously. "We've heard of a place across the ocean where they care not about one's appearance."

Neliel nodded knowingly. She had heard of this place. She couldn't be sure if Grimmjow had. He appeared as though he hadn't, but she could fill him in on it later. She noticed a door in the car, and decided to slide it open. There happened to be another compartment in the car, and she led Grimmjow into it. There she unrolled the makeshift beds, and pulled Grimmjow into her arms.

She didn't expect him to kiss her neck, or nibble at her earlobes. She had been so tense and so had he. "But-"

"Don't talk." He murmured. They had since shut the door, and now they were in complete privacy. The only sounds were those of the rhythmic clicking of the train. He pulled her close, leading his lips along a trail to hers. She sighed into his mouth, her eyes shut, succumbing completely to his touch. She couldn't resist—but she wanted to. She needed to.

"No, Grimmjow. Really!" She pulled away, her hands on his chest. "I'm—" She paused, lowering her face. "I'm a virgin." She shut her eyes. Grimmjow laughed softly, and the sound was pure magic reverberating in her ears.

"And you're saving it for marriage, right?" He whispered. She nodded solemnly, and it was all he could do not to laugh. In as solemn a tone he could muster, he said "Neliel, I hate to tell you this, but there's no way you'll ever be married. Not here, and not now. If you're not wanting to do it now, fine. But don't expect to hold out on me forever." He growled. "I'll even marry you if I have to."

His throat was dry, and he wanted a drink of water desperately. Neliel smiled despite herself, and despite their situation. "We haven't spoken this much in months." She observed. She pulled the canteen from her bag, and offered him a sip. He took it gratefully, lips curling in a smile at her. She blushed, the hint of color stirring desire in Grimmjow.

He kissed her again, holding the back of her head. She whimpered softly, succumbing to Grimmjow's caresses. He lowered her to the mats, and she stared at him, her eyes wide.

"Don't be scared." He told her. She understood, and he registered the look in her eyes. They undressed in silence, eyes lowered and turned away. They laid their clothes neatly beside the mats, ready to be slid back on in a hurry. Neliel's face turned an impossible shade of pink at the realization they were naked...together.

Though this wasn't new, the implication was. Grimmjow pressed his body against hers, kissing her gently to soften the shock. He could tell when she began to get used to it, her body pressed closer to his and she began returning his kisses.

Grimmjow's fingers slid down the length of Neliel's body slowly, resting on her thigh for just a moment. Then, two fingers were inside of her, moving to prepare her for what was to come. The look on her face was of pleasure, not pain, and this encouraged Grimmjow. With his other hand, he loved her breasts, one at a time. She writhed beneath him after a minute of this, and instinct told him she was ready.

He pulled his fingers from her and moved his hand to her knee. She froze, her eyes suddenly nervous. He smiled at her then, and she returned his smile, the nervousness leaving her eyes. He entered her, planting a kiss on her lips as her brows furrowed in slight pain. Oddly enough, he felt no blood. There was a barrier, and he knew he had broken it, but she wasn't bleeding.

"Don't worry about it." Neliel whispered. "Not every girl bleeds." She smiled softly, and he moved again. He thrust slowly, moving in and out, hands caressing her thighs. She wrapped her arms around his back, pushing close to him. He could feel her luscious breasts pressing against his chest.

As she warmed up to this new activity more, he increased his pace. He moved faster and faster until he felt her nails digging into his back, her thighs squeezing his waist. "No, faster." She murmured, her eyes bright. Grimmjow obeyed, moving as fast as he could. It was all he could do to keep from bursting with pleasure, but she wasn't finished yet. Her soft gasps and heavy breathing told him she was close, she had to be close, but he couldn't finish until she had.

After what seemed an eternity, her head fell back as her body shuddered, and Grimmjow let himself go. Carelessly, he came inside of her, too wrapped up in pleasure to think of the consequences. He rolled to her side, catching his breath. Neliel was already sliding her clothing back on and finding a place to relieve herself. She found a place and made use of it gratefully.

Then, she took her place on the mats, beside Grimmjow. He pulled her against his nude form, kissing her hair. She smiled at his touch, pressing against him. She fell asleep in his arms, into her first peaceful sleep in months. He lay awake for some time, just running his fingers through her hair. Never before had a woman made him feel so complete—even in this awful situation. In fact, it was a huge credit to Neliel for making him feel this way.

She mumbled his name in her sleep and smiled, and he rested his head on the small pillow. He wasn't about to let her go. She pressed closer to him, rolling over and pressing her face into his neck. Grimmjow yawned and shut his eyes. Sleep would come easily with her in his arms.

He awoke to find Neliel rummaging through her bag. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, but she looked rested. He stretched and pulled on his clothes, moving closer to Neliel. He kissed her, and she smiled softly. Though she smiled, her eyes showed the strain their hardships placed her under. She pulled a bottle of some strange tan liquid, and Grimmjow perked a brow.

"This is to hide my birthmark so that I may go into a town when we have the chance." She murmured. "I would use it to blend in to today's society but it is just too much of a hassle."

"Yeah." Grimmjow kissed her birthmark. "Besides, it's part of your face. I dunno if I'd like you as much without it." He admitted. Neliel blushed and ducked her head. She rolled up the mats and put everything away. Then, she moved to the other compartment where Halibel and Nnoitra were. Grimmjow followed her, and they sat across from them.

It looked as though the two hadn't slept all night. Suddenly, the train began rumbling to a stop. Neliel shot to her feet, and the other three did the same. She looked out of one side, and then the other. She made the executive decision out of which side to jump, and they all followed after her. She saw mountains wherever she looked. She wasn't sure where they were, but she knew she had to run. So she ran toward the mountains and forest, hoping to find a place to hide.

She didn't look back at first, until she realized someone was missing. She looked behind her to see Grimmjow crouched in the grass, a look of agony twisting his face. She gestured Halibel and Nnoitra on, and ran back to him.


End file.
